Xiamen Airlines launched its first intercontinental route linking Xiamen in Fujian province and Amsterdam in the Netherlands late Sunday night, according to Southeast Express.

A passenger shows her ticket for the Xiamen-Amsterdam flight by Xiamen Airlines in Xiamen, Fujian province on July 26. [Photo/Xinhua]

The route was operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner with the flight number MF811/2. It took off at 23:50 and is expected to land at the Schiphol Airport after 11 hours and 55 minutes.

Three round-trip flights will be arranged every week. The plane leaves Xiamen at 23:50 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, and returns from Amsterdam at 12:35 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

A Boeing 787 Dreamliner has four first-class seats, 18 business-class seats and 214 economy-class seats.

The load factor of the maiden flight reached 90 percent. The number will stay around 80 percent, with group tourists being the major source of passengers, said the airline.

It is the second non-stop air route between Xiamen and Amsterdam. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines opened a non-stop route linking the two cities in 2011.

Xiamen Airline will introduce its sixth Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner soon, and plans to add four more advance Boeing 787-9s for future intercontinental routes to Sydney (later this year) and North America next year, according to board chairman Che Shanglun.